Jordan’s Perspective
April 13th, 2021 was the day that changed my life. At first, it was another day in the Navy then miraculously it turned into being the day I matched with my soulmate on BLK. I just didn't know it yet. My BLK profile was set to search for people within a 5-mile radius and somehow Zakiya appeared, although on BLK she was shown to be 85 miles away. I swiped right on her and didn't think anything would happen so I kept swiping on other women within my area and then we matched. We talked for about 6 months but never got the opportunity to see one another which led to us parting ways. The timing simply wasn’t right for us and the Lord said we weren’t ready for one another yet. Three years later on May 23rd, the Lord said it’s time to continue the story. I was out of the military back on the East Coast and she reappeared on Instagram. I liked her post and the next thing I knew she followed me. I was so hesitant to message her but something kept telling me to run with it so I did. We caught up and our first conversation after three years of not speaking felt so easy and natural. The conversation started at 7 pm and it didn't end until 4 in the morning. I booked a flight to California that following week and those 4 days with her were simply amazing. I wanted our first date to not only be special but I wanted to set a precedent for myself and Zakiya I told myself I wanted every date I take her on to include fine dining, views, flowers, and adventures, and to make sure Zakiya is treated like a queen. Our first romantic night out was at Tom Ham's Lighthouse in San Diego. We were seated outside with a beautiful harbor view, a full moon, and of course heaters because I knew she gets cold easily. We engaged in deep meaningful conversation, talked about the future, our goals, our ambitions, and each other and in that moment I knew this was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We are both working towards building a life together and closing the distance as soon as possible.
Zakiya’s Perspective
I have always been iffy about dating apps; I never believed in them. I never thought I would find someone I would match with, let alone have so many things in common, and they were looking for the same thing dating-wise. I had tried multiple dating apps, and it was all the same: guys who wanted to hook up and didn’t want anything serious, but I was looking for something serious. I was always looking to date and marry. When I downloaded BLK, this was my last hope with dating apps. By this time, I wasn’t taking it seriously at all. My BLK profile was set up to match with men about a 25–50-mile radius from me. I was swiping on multiple guys because I thought they were cute, and from their profiles, it seemed decent enough for me to swipe right on them. When I came across Jordan’s BLK profile, I remember thinking, “Hmm, he's cute, but it seems he lives in San Diego.” I lived in Moreno Valley, about 2 hours from him or about 85 miles. His profile intrigued me. It said he was in the Navy, which scared me a little; he had a Psychology degree.
I was about to get my sociology degree; he had almost the same vibe of words as I had on my profile. I was intrigued to see if we would match, so I swiped right on him, and we matched instantly. I think the BLK experts knew we had much in common and let our profiles find each other. It was April 13th, 2021, when I matched with Jordan on BLK. I instantly knew he was a great guy for me. I had matched with my soulmate; I didn’t realize it yet and even took him for granted. I truly believe God knew he was the one for me, but he knew I wasn’t mature enough yet to have him as my partner. We talked from April through December, and then I let him go. Three years later, on May 23rd, he liked one of my posts on Instagram, and I went on his page as any woman does to check out what he’s been doing in his life, and the sparks came back. I had an epitome moment, and I told myself I think I let my husband get away. Looking back at our old messages, he was always a gentleman who consistently wrote about how he wanted to take me out. I started remembering his BLK profile, what he was looking for and wasn’t and how I remember my bio saying I usually don’t use dating apps because I always get the same results, but I'm putting myself out here to give it one last shot. I followed him back on Instagram, and he messaged me. We talked for hours, and it felt like the first time when we matched on BLK all over again. He got a Plane ticket to California that following week to see me finally from New Jersey. I feel like our story is just beginning. I can't help but thank the Experts at BLK and the app for helping me meet my soulmate, the love of my life.
What were you looking for before you got on BLK? What did you prioritize in a partner?
Jordan: Before I got on BLK I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I just knew I didn't want anything toxic or immature and I wasn’t interested in hookups.
Zakiya: I was looking for a connection. I never wanted to do the whole friends-with-benefits, one-night stand situationship with anybody. I always wanted a real connection that I could grow with. The streets were hard and I was trying to find a man to take me off the streets. I wanted to prioritize finding a partner who I can be friends with, gain a real genuine connection, and it grow into something real, and we could date to marry and start a future together eventually.
Tell us about the first date!
Jordan: For our first date, we went snorkeling. I wanted our first date to be adventurous, I wanted to stand out, I wanted to be different. I was very eager to get into the ocean but Zakiya was very nervous, convinced she would see a shark. Throughout the entire snorkeling trip, I prioritized her safety since it was her first time going snorkeling. The irony in snorkeling being our first date because three years ago that was what I wanted our first date to be. Everything comes full circle.
Our first evening date was at Tom Ham's Lighthouse. We were seated outside with a beautiful harbor view, a full moon, and of course heaters because I knew Zakiya gets cold easily. We engaged in deep meaningful conversation, talked about the future, our goals, our ambitions, each other and in that moment I knew this is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Zakiya: My first date with Jordan, I want to talk about our adventurous date and our romantic dinner date. Our adventurous date was going snorkeling. It’s a 360 for our relationship and our love story because the first thing we did was when we matched on BLK, he wanted to take me snorkeling. I was never for it because I didn’t know this man, lol. We went snorkeling and I was very nervous because I always had the fear that I would see a shark being that far and deep in the water. I went, and it was amazing. He focused on making sure I felt safe the entire time; since he has snorkeled multiple times, his priority was making sure I was secure while we were out in the ocean. We had a great time. I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and did the snorkeling. That’s what I love about him. He makes me step outside my comfort zone. Our first dinner date was at Tom Ham's Lighthouse. Going into the car, he opened my door and gave me these beautiful flowers. We were seated outside with a lovely harbor view and a full moon. He Planned out everything so perfectly. We engaged in profound, meaningful conversation and talked about the future, goals, and ambitions; we talked about first swiping right on each other on BLK. It made me cry because I’m so happy I met the love of my life on BLK. He asked me to be his girlfriend after that.
What do you most remember about her BLK profile?
Jordan: I remember the number of photos she had, I remember how captivated I was by her beauty, I remember thinking to myself how can a woman this beautiful be single and now I realize they were all just local morons. I remember how blunt Zakiya was, the words she typed describing herself jumped from the screen. She seemed fierce but also hurt.
Zakiya: His profile intrigued me it said he was in the Navy, which scared me a little; he had a Psychology degree. He was adventurous and loved the water. I believe his nickname was Aquaboy. He was the complete opposite of me, but something about his profile always stuck with me.
Wow… this is beautiful